Tuesday, November 15, 2005

BATHROOM SCALES

The dh has been making an effort to lose a few pounds (for his health’s sake) and he’s been doing really well, but you know how it is; after a while you seem to come to a halt, it’s harder to motivate yourself so I thought I’d buy a set of bathroom scales. A nudge in the right direction when he started to slip back; a lift in spirits when it was going in the right direction.

Their arrival coincided with my annual “well woman” check up and when I told the doctor my weight she was impressed. “You’ve lost a bit…” Then, “Do you want to hop on my scales and just check.” Gulp. My brand new scales were out by 21 lbs –that’s 21 lbs, in case you were in any doubt, in the wrong direction! You know that feeling, when you just want the floor to open up and swallow you…

THE WOODLAND GARDEN

The bare-root silver birch saplings for the first phase of my “wood” arrived at the beginning of last week. Needless to say it was pouring with rain – I mean seriously deluge conditions – and blowing hard.

I thought they’d arrived a week too late and would shrivel up before I could get them into the ground. Amazingly, the weekend (yes, the weekend!) was sunny and windless and I spent Sunday digging large holes with the fine stainless steel spade the dh gave me last Christmas (ah, the romance of it), hammering in stakes and making my small contribution to the health and beauty of the planet.

I ached, I seriously ached and my nails look as if they’ve been chewed by a dog, but the joy of actually making a start on something I’ve been planning for over a year more than made up for the pain. Oh, and I also lost one of those excess pounds. Is this what is called a win/lose situation?

Next job, the oak sapling I’ve been nurturing since it was an acorn. And several hundred primroses. (The sound you can hear is my back and knees pleading for mercy!)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, Liz - OUCH on the scales! Our electronic ones were 8lbs out the wrong way from Weightwatchers (and you could put on 4lbs by getting off them and getting on again). Bought the new Weightwatchers ones (which weigh in 1/4 lb graduations - great for those weeks when you think you're lard but then discover you've lost a teensy bit). Highly recommended except for the bodyfat bit - tells you in stones and lbs as well as %age and it's scary!

Your woodland garden sounds gorgeous. Hope you're going to get your DH to take piccies for you!

Liz Fielding said...

Kate, I chose the Weightwatchers scales when I replaced the dodgy ones. It was the big figures that clinched it for me -- easily read from five foot away. Not the ones with the bodyfat stuff, though! Noooo....

It'll be spring before we take pictures of the wood for anything but record purposes; I want leaves, flowers, before I go public!